Summary: A praying church

Introduction: For the last several weeks we have been talking about the power of prayer, and I have been emphasizing the power of prayer in our individual lives. Through praying the word praying the blood of Jesus and praying with faith, and what is hindering our prayers. This week we are going to change the focus from you and I to the church. Throughout the book of Acts the church went through one crisis after another, yet they were always on top at the end, always victorious, how was this possible? Prayer. Whenever a crisis situation came up they prayed together. There is something very special and powerful when a church comes together in prayer, several times in the book of Acts when the church prayed the foundations shook, Paul and silas prayed together and there shackles fell off, Peter was locked in prison in Acts 12:5 lets read it together, several times we see here that the church was praying together. It is powerful, and the only way that we as a church body are going to see the power of God come is through prayer. Here is a quote form Dr. AC Dixon “a church that works without prayer may have a lot of activity, but it will exhibit very little spiritual power. When we rely on organization, we get what organization can do, when we rely on education, we get what education can do, but when we rely on prayer we get what God can do. This morning I want to talk to about what a praying church can expect.

A. The Lord answered by filling with the spirit, and enabled them to speak the word boldly, what a great concept, they prayed for boldness ad the Lord gave them boldness. As a church we need to expect our prayers to be answered, when we pray that we want to be a lighthouse in this community we need to believe that God will do just that. When we pray for people to surrender there lives to Christ we can expect God to answer that prayer, but it first has to happen when we come together in prayer. God’s promise to you and I is that if we will call to Him, He will answer us, a praying church can expect answered prayer. When we pray if we are not expecting an answer then why are we praying?

II. We can expect “The power of the Holy Spirit” Verse 31 again

A. The results of praying together involves the power of the spirit to enable you and I to carry out the mission of Christ. Lets look in Acts 9:31, this is after the conversion of Saul, who is now Paul, but the church was really under persecution when Saul was killing Christians, and they prayed and prayed for the Lord to help them, you see here a praying church can expect Answered prayer, and the power of the holy spirit, strengthened and encouraged. Without the holy spirit the early church could do nothing, without the holy spirit the churches of this generation can do nothing. Church we need to expect the power of te holy spirit to come when we pray, He will guide us into al truth ad He will convict the world of guilt and sin. Expect the holy spirit to come. We cant be scared of the holy spirit